Three JMS Alums Make Emmy History in Sports and News
From CNN to ESPN, these SC&I grads are making their professional mark with Emmy-winning work in national news and sports broadcasting.
Three Journalism and Media Studies graduates have earned prestigious Emmy Awards in recognition of their outstanding work in news and sports media. Olivia Cruser JMS’19, Mark Eiseman JMS‘05, and Jake Ostrove JMS’20 were honored in 2025 across three competitive categories.
Cruser received an Emmy for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage, awarded to breaking news stories that demonstrate journalistic excellence within the first 48 hours of the event, according to The Emmys. Eiseman earned a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily. Ostrove was part of the team that won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Series, a category that celebrates sustained excellence in the live coverage of a recurring sports series over a season.
At the 45th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, Cruser, who majored in Journalism and Media Studies and Political Science and graduated cum laude, helped CNN take home the Emmy for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage in the News and Documentary category. As an editorial producer, Cruser played an integral part in the historic win. CNN earned 12 awards at the ceremony, according to CNN, setting a new record for the most the network has won in a single News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
Prior to joining CNN, Cruser worked at NBC, reporting directly to SC&I alumna Jessica Grothues Kurdali JMS’04, who is Senior Vice President at NBC News.
“I’ll never forget waking up early that Saturday morning to a call from my executive producer: Hamas had invaded Israel, and we were going into rolling coverage,” Cruser said. “I immediately jumped in to help with our editorial response—strategizing and securing high-impact interviews with key newsmakers to bring context and clarity to the fast-moving developments. That night’s coverage ultimately led to our Emmy win. At the time, we were just doing what we always do. The Emmy was an unexpected honor, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of a team of such dedicated, talented journalists.”
Cruser began her production career at Rutgers, gaining early experience in RU-tv and the Institute for Women’s Leadership. Her work at CNN is a testament to the strong foundation she built during her time as a SC&I student.
Describing how her experiences at RU-tv helped her gain professional experience in a newsroom, Cruser said, “RU-tv gave me hands-on experience that I carried with me into the start of my career. I had the opportunity to take on a variety of roles—working my way up from network assistant to segment producer, morning show anchor, and eventually production manager, where I led a team of student journalists. Those experiences were invaluable and gave me a window into the many career paths available after graduation.”
While she did not arrive at Rutgers with a firm plan to major in journalism, Cruser said a JMS class she took convinced her to pursue that path. “I came to Rutgers undecided, but I always knew I loved politics and the live energy of television. In my very first semester, I took one of Professor Steven Miller’s classes and was immediately hooked—I decided then to major in Journalism. He took me under his wing and became a mentor to me over the years. I’m incredibly grateful to him for believing in me and opening the door to the industry by connecting me with my first internship."
Her biggest piece of advice for current journalism students, Cruser said, is to “put yourself out there, meet as many people as you can, share your goals, and say ‘yes’ to every opportunity. You never know what doors it might open or where the path could lead. Keep raising the bar and pushing yourself - and above all, be kind to everyone you meet along the way. It’s a small industry and kindness truly goes a long way!”
Eiseman, producer on NFL Live, was central to the show’s first-ever win for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily. This marked
ESPN’s ninth win in the category and helped the network tie its own record of 13 total Emmys, as noted by Sports Video Group.
Reflecting on his time at Rutgers, Eiseman said, “I truly believe that I’m not where I am today if it was not for my time spent down at Rutgers. I was lucky to have so many invaluable experiences in my four years on the banks. From working for and eventually running the sports department at WRSU, to two internships I landed while in college, to so many great professors pushing me along the way (shoutout Steve Miller!), I feel like I was shot out of a cannon and ready to take on the world after graduation. I feel lucky and grateful for my journalism degree from Rutgers.”
Since joining the NFL Live team nearly five years ago, Eiseman has helped lead the show through a period of major transformation. In a 2021 interview with Sportico, the team explained that their new mindset prioritizes “what’s interesting” over simply “what’s happening.” This shift resonated with audiences and critics alike, leading to the program's first Emmy win after being nominated in 2023 and 2024.
“This award was the culmination of years of work,” Eiseman said. “I was given a lot of leeway on creating a new template for the show and saw satisfying growth in the first couple of years. I am very lucky to work with people I call friends. Finding success with that group has been the most rewarding professional achievement of my career.”
Offering advice to current Journalism and Media Studies students, Eiseman said, “I’m sure everyone in your life has told you that the four years are going to fly by. And that’s probably an understatement! I would tell all Rutgers students to take advantage of every opportunity the campus has to offer. Not only will you grow as a potential employee down the road, you’ll meet more people, make more friends, and challenge the way you think in the best way possible.”
Ostrove earned an Emmy for Outstanding Live Series for his work on SEC on ABC.
“It’s a great validation of the hard work we put in during the season,” said Ostrove. “...it was great to see the collective buy-in from not just my department, but the whole company. We left the season with some great moments under our belt and felt satisfied with the effort given; the Emmy was the cherry on top that our work was recognized by others, as well.”
In its first year on air, the program made history as the first college football broadcast in 45 years to win the award, per Sports Video Group. It also marked ESPN’s fourth consecutive win in the category.
Ostrove got his start in sports broadcasting at WRSU-FM and RU-tv and has since leveraged that experience into a fast-rising career at ESPN, where he was recently promoted to senior researcher.
“I started my journey in journalism my first weekend at Rutgers, joining WRSU-FM at the involvement fair when I only had the idea that I wanted to pursue a career in this field,” he said. “From there, I had so many great opportunities, both on campus and through internships, that got me ready to hit the ground running when I graduated.”
Despite graduating during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ostrove said Rutgers helped him become well-rounded enough to pursue a wide range of opportunities post-grad.
“The biggest thing I tell others thinking about entering this field is that there isn’t a set path to success. I never could have seen myself doing the jobs that I’ve done since graduation, but I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world. Don’t worry about where others are, just focus on your journey and ride the waves it takes you.”
Learn more about the Journalism and Media Studies major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.